WWE Hall Of Famer Bruno Sammartino Dies At Age 82

Professional wrestling legend and WWE Hall of Famer Bruno Sammartino died Wednesday at the age of 82. Sammartino died peacefully with his wife and two kids by his side after dealing with health problems for the past several months. Sammartino, named The Italian Superman, caught the attention of Vince McMahon Sr. and became a professional wrestler after setting a world record in 1959 by bench-pressing 565 pounds. He became the second-ever WWE Champion in 1963 when he defeated Buddy Rogers in 48 seconds. Sammartino held onto the WWE Championship for eight years, a record that still stands today. He lost his championship to Ivan Koloff in 1971 but won it back in 1973 to become the first-ever two-time WWE Champion. The second title reign lasted more than three years. Sammartino sold out Madison Square Garden in New York 187 times, and became a color commentator for WWE in the 1980s. He was inducted into the company’s Hall of Fame in 2013.